This Saturday, May 12, is a special day for 155 University of Hawai‘i - West O‘ahu graduates who will receive their degrees and certificates during commencement ceremonies at the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall in Honolulu. This commencement ceremony marks UH West O‘ahu’s last to be held at an off campus location prior to its move to its brand new Kapolei campus in August.

UH West O‘ahu graduates will receive their baccalaureate degrees in Applied Sciences, Business Administration, Education, Humanities, Public Administration and Social Sciences. Graduates will also receive certificates in various programs including Applied Forensic Anthropology, Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management, Health Care Administration, and Substance Abuse and Addictions Studies.

University of Hawai‘i System Vice President of Capital Improvements Brian Minaai will attend and University of Hawai‘i Board of Regents member Chuck Gee will address the graduates. Cheryl Ann Natividad, one of this year’s outstanding UH West O‘ahu graduates, will speak on behalf of the graduating class.

Natividad is an elementary education major and recently completed her senior semester teaching first grade students at Waipahu Elementary School. She received the ETS Recognition of Excellence Award for achieving high scores on the Praxis II: Elementary Education Content Knowledge exam and is a member of the UH West O‘ahu Dean’s list. Natividad worked as a research assistant for the UH West O‘ahu Honouliuli Internment and POW Camp Project and as a part-time teacher and tutor for English Language Learners. She enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons and looks forward to teaching at a Hawai‘i elementary school and working toward a master’s degree in education following graduation.

Commencement tickets will be distributed to graduates and are required for guest admission to the Concert Hall. Doors will open at 4:30 p.m. to ticket holders only and the ceremony begins promptly at 5 p.m. No strollers, tripods or balloons are allowed. Graduates will greet guests after the ceremony at the lawn on the corner of Ward Avenue and King Street at 6 p.m. Parking is available at the Neal S. Blaisdell parking structure for a $6 fee. Nearby street parking is free.

UH West O‘ahu became a four-year, regional comprehensive university when it served its first class of freshmen in fall 2007. The campus offers quality education, small classes and personalized attention at convenient locations. Construction began in August 2010 on the first phase of a new, state-of-the-art UH West O‘ahu campus in the City of Kapolei. It is expected to serve approximately 2,000 students for fall 2012 classes. For more information, visit uhwo.hawaii.edu, twitter.com/uhwestoahu, facebook.com/uhwestoahu or call 454-4700 or toll-free (866) 299-8656.